Empyrean Possessed v.01

Empyrean Possessed Introduction World of Darkness: Inferno includes a sidebar titled “Empyrean” that briefly discusses alternative Possessed characters, in particular those that are possessed by an angelic being instead of a demonic one. Empyrean Possessed is a fan supplement that attempts to present the author’s vision of how to translate the abilities and mechanics presented for Inferno’s Possessed to best represent Empyrean. In a nutshell, Empyrean Possessed details mortals that have become possessed by an inscrutable alien from another world, an angel in fact, complete with strange abilities and cryptic agendas. Before we can get in to much depth about this form of Possessed, a brief primer on what an angel actually means in this context is probably a good idea. There are untold volumes of vague, incorrect, and even intentionally misleading lore on angels. Even in the real world, millions of people claim that angels are real and have an impact on their daily lives. From a certain perspective, you could take that as either definitive proof that angels exist, or that mass hysteria is alive and well in the world. Either way, the problem with learning accurate angelic lore does not lie with finding subject matter, but with sorting through the overload of information that can be found at the touch of a button or by driving to the local library. Due to the nature of such a wide variety of source material, it is no surprise that no two works treat the nature of the Heavenly Host in the same way. Most of the best works do agree on a few points, however. Angels exist, and they serve a higher power. There is a Plan, a Great Plan, and they are an integral part of it. Angels themselves do not, really, understand the Plan, but they are absolutely certain of their place in it. There are many kinds of angels, including but not limited to Cherubim, Seraphim, and Valkyries. Qashmalim do resemble some descriptions of angels to a close degree. For the purposes of this work they are not precisely angels (as described in Empyrean and Summoners), but can take Supreme Possession Numina and create Possessed characters according to either these rules or those found in World of Darkness: Inferno, as determined by the Principal (read: The Storyteller). It is safe to assume that the rest of Empyrean Possessed is referencing both the creatures of the Aether in Summoners and those mentioned in the Empyrean Sidebar (World of Darkness: Inferno, page XXX) when it refers either to angels or to the Heavenly Host. One of the many conceits outlined in this document is the idea that, except for a few noted exceptions, most supernatural texts in the World of Darkness that refer to angels are, in fact, talking about the same sorts of beings. Like demons, ghosts, and other spirits, angels are versatile and varied enough in form that they can account for almost all of the mythology about them. Even with what little individual angels may know about the greater cosmology of the World of Darkness, they have little to no interest in sharing that information with mortals. Instead, they are bound to individual, specific tasks regardless of whether the Great Plan is actually dictated from God or from stranger, unknowable plane of

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existence beyond the Aether (some might call it the Divine Fire). The fact remains, all true angels are committed to a Directive that comes from a higher power. A Directive includes both a core Virtue and some indication of the angels role in the Great Plan. Angels can take possession of mortals and must struggle to control their host bodies, just like demons. Empyrean Possessed are those who have been possessed by angels with the Supreme Possession Numina. The angels are incomprehensible, and rarely explain their motives or intentions, but they do sometimes communicate to their host. Such communication is in broken messages and strange speech, weird sounds and confused, contradictory ideas. The Possessed character is at the mercy of an angel, which sometimes demands truly bizarre tasks. A man possessed by an angel of Charity might be forced to give away everything he owns, whether he wanted to or not. Another man is urged to prepare for the coming of the apocalypse. He is forced to sell his house and stock a shelter with firearms, then to kidnap various individuals the angel tells him are blessed to survive the coming of Revelations, and they are being given no choice in the matter. Another angel, driven by Faith, destroys its host, dragging her through a gauntlet of mind-shattering religious experiences.

Becoming Possessed While there are many ways to become possessed by an angel, one most often first draws a Messenger, which is the weakest form of angel. A Messenger follows the host around, urging it to ever more virtuous acts, and gain a little bit more of a foothold in the world each time such an act is committed. Eventually it will become strong enough to transform into another form of angel, often a Cherubim (or “Lesser Angel”). Such an angel would then leave the host to pursue its own agenda in the world, or maybe even serve as its Guardian Angel if they were important enough to the Great Plan. But sometimes the Messenger has a more direct purpose, and needs to act overtly in the mortal realm. When this is the case, the angel’s Directive supplies it with the Supreme Possession Numina to directly inhabit the new host, securing itself a more permanent place in the world. Others summon an angel only to discover their reach has exceeded their grasp and now the angel is using them to pursue its purposes. The following are characters that are particularly likely to become Possessed.

The Chosen There are those few who have a destiny. A legitimate prophecy, no matter how obscure, details that they will somehow be important to the Great Plan. Angels often seek out these individuals, and sometimes Possess them for a time to keep them ‘safe’ until they can fulfill their destiny.

The Innocent The truly innocent are essentially wide open to Possession from all sorts of beings, and angels are no exception. Children are more likely than adults to have a guardian angel

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(or cherubim) that protects them, and in some cases the cherubim must possess the child to save its life.

The Penitent Sometimes those who have fell the hardest repent the most sincerely. Whenever a character spends experience points to raise their Morality as a result of Virtuous Action they may attract the attention of an Angel.

The Unlucky In the ‘field,’ that is, when actually operating in the mortal world, angels must often take whatever means are necessary to fulfill their Directive, lest they lose their grip on the material realm and return to the Heavens. A character might become Possessed just by having the wrong Virtue at the right time, a convenient vessel for an angel on a mission.

The Virtuous Characters of exceptionally high Morality ratings (8 and up) often draw the attention of the Heavenly Host.

Possession An angel that attempts possession will benefit from having a sympathetic connection to its potential host. The angel’s Directive includes a Principle and a Virtue, either one of which could aid the angel in possessing a potential target. The angel may attempt to possess someone who is not included within his Directive, but doing so suffers a -3 die penalty to the Possession roll. Even if successful, the angel still suffers a -5 penalty to any rolls for control of the host body.

Resisting Possession Dice Pool: Resolve plus Composure versus the angel’s Power Finesse. If the angel is in corporeal form, it instead rolls Presence plus Manipulation. Action: Reflexive and Extended. The target number of successes equals the character’s Morality score. Each roll represents one minute of conflict. To attempt this type of possession, the angel must have the “Supreme Possession” Numina. The target of possession will be aware that some unknown presence is invading both body and soul. Some may dismiss the possession as the onslaught of some form of illness or a brief bout of madness. During the attempt, the character feels anxious and ill. They may experience hot flashes, cold sweats, minor hallucinations, or even vomit. Other than looking sick, the character displays no outward signs of supernatural attack, though anyone with the appropriate Unseen Sense or similar ability will be aware that something is wrong at the least. During the actual moment of possession, stranger things many occur. A witness might swear they hear bells in distance, or the smell of chocolate, or even a strange pillar of light haloing the character as clouds just happen to part above.

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Suggested Modifiers Character has a mild derangement (–1), character has a severe derangement (–2), character is attempting to do anything other than be still and resolve the threat (–3 to the character); note that an angel gains 9-Again to its attempt when attempting to possess any of the character types noted in “Becoming Possessed,” above.

Roll Results Dramatic Failure: The character’s will crumples like a paper cup under the invisible angelic intrusion. The character loses all Willpower points in the process. Failure: The angel reaches the target successes first—the character is now one of the Possessed. Success: The character reaches the target successes first—the character rebuffs the angel’s attempt at possession. The angel may make another attempt after 24 hours have passed, though at a cumulative –1 penalty. Exceptional Success: The character not only reaches the target first, but manifests a surprising rally of internal strength. The angel is pushed out and away, and may never again attempt possession of this character.

Character Creation Creating an Empyrean Possessed generally follows the standard character creation rules starting on page 34 of The World of Darkness Rulebook. The following are rules detailing how to adapt the Empyrean Possessed template to otherwise mortal characters. Step One: Select Concept Concept, as a general idea, should figure into the nature of the character’s possession. It helps to determine precisely what led to the character’s Possession, especially if it was one of the more likely character types detailed in Becoming Possessed (Chosen, Innocent, Penitent, Unlucky, Virtuous). Steps Two, Three and Four Choose Attributes, Skills and Skill Specialties as it states in the World of Darkness Rulebook. Step Five: Add Possessed Template Angelic possession changes the mortal. The mortal now has a persistent voice inside her head that is not entirely her own, though some Possessed simply convince themselves they have gone insane. The supernatural traits and abilities of a Possessed character are actually the angel’s traits shining through at the behest of the either the mortal or the angel, whichever is currently in control.

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Virtues Virtue and Vice fall under Step Seven: Determine Advantages, but it’s necessary to consider Virtue now. If you look at the character sheet, you’ll note that all seven of the Heavenly Virtues, are listed. Each gets 3 empty dots, meaning that for Empyrean Possessed, Virtues have a numerical rating. One dot represents an innate connection to a particular Virtue. Two dots represents a lesser connection to that Virtue. Three dots represents a greater connection to that Virtue. Use these to determine your character’s Vestments, the supernatural aspects of the angel that the character may access. You begin with 3 dots to distribute across all seven Virtues. Your character’s primary Virtue (the one written at the top of the character sheet) is also the primary Virtue trait to determine advantages. Your character may never have more dots in another Virtue than those in the primary Virtue. If your character’s Primary Virtue is Temperance and you distribute 1 dot to that Virtue, no other Virtue may have 2 dots until you raise your dots in Temperance. You could put 2 dots in Temperance and one in Justice, but you could not do the reverse (2 in Justice, 1 in Temperance) because Justice is not your character’s primary Virtue. It is important to see dots in these Virtues as more than numbers, something beyond just cool new traits that give your character access to angelic powers. Vestments Vestments are ways the angel’s powers manifest themselves. They represent abilities the Possessed character can bring to bear at any time. Many of them are always active and cost nothing. Vestments are the angelic being literally brimming to the surface. At character creation, choose Vestments based on the dot ratings you placed in Virtues. For each dot in a Virtue, gain one Vestment of the appropriate dot rating. Vestments, like the Virtue ratings, are delimited by Innate, Lesser and Greater powers. So, a character with Justice ••• chooses one Innate (1-dot) Justice Vestment, one Lesser (2-dot) Justice Vestment, and one Greater (3-dot) Justice Vestment. Alternately, if your Possessed has Justice •, Temperance •, and Faith •, then you choose one Innate (1-dot) Vestment for each of those three Virtues. Step Six: Select Merits A beginning Possessed character has 7 dots worth of Merits, distributed at your discretion.

Step Seven: Determine Advantages Rules for Advantages can be found on pp. 90–105 of the World of Darkness Rulebook. Willpower

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Willpower in Empyrean works much as it does in Inferno, substituting ‘Blessed Will’ for Infernal Will. Morality Your character begins with a Morality of 7, just like everybody else. Virtue and Vice Pick these as normal for Character Creation in the World of Darkness, taking into account how much more important these decisions may be for a Possessed than other character types. Choose wisely!

Step Eight: That Heavenly Spark Now you have a character. Sure, it’s been possessed by an alien, incomprehensible being that actually competes with the human host for control of its very body, but it’s a character all right. There are still many more details to cover. It is important to build a story from the dots on the sheet, including personal conflicts and goals. The Angel Within Most Possessing angels are considered Seraphim, though there are many exceptions. Unless your Storyteller decides otherwise, come up with a personality for the angel itself. Determine what its voice sounds like in your character’s head, work with the Storyteller to flesh out some of its own history (unless your ST has decided to keep this a secret, of course!). While it is true that you do not put dots on the page for the angel (in this form it is effectively just a sum of Virtue dots), quick and easy stats can be derived by multiplying the sum of its Virtue dots by four and then dividing the result up between Power, Finesse, and Resistance traits. Numina can be chosen from this work or other appropriate World of Darkness supplements.

Rules and Systems Experience Point Costs Attribute Skill Skill Specialty Merit Morality Willpower dot Virtue New Vestment New Trait:

New dots x 5 New dots x 3 3 New dots x 2 New dots x 3 8 New dots x 10 10

Virtue Primary Virtue is the one that is filled in at the top of the character sheet

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under ‘Virtue.’ Virtues are rated from one dot to three dots, and add to all rolls to resist supernatural effects. Dots in Secondary Virtues cannot exceed the dots possessed by the character in its Primary Virtue.

Empyrean Merits Twilight Familiar Enochian

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Empyrean Vestments The following Vestments are geared toward each Virtue the character may possess. Empyrean Vestments are listed for the one dot (Innate), two dot (Lesser) and three dot (Greater) versions of the Vestments. Having one dot in Justice does not mean your character has access to all Innate Justice Vestments. You must choose one for your Possessed character. However, you may replace one Vestment for another of equal Virtue and dot rating. To do so requires self sacrifice. Your character must cause a number of lethal points of damage themselves equal to 10 minus Morality. Yes, this indicates that characters of higher Morality can get away with sacrificing less than those with lower Morality. You must then spend half of the experience point cost to gain a new Vestment. When both demands have been met the character must sleep for at least eight hours. Then, the old Vestment will have vanished, replaced by the new one. • Innate Vestments (one dot) cost nothing to manifest. They are always active. • Lesser Vestments (two dots) cost 1 Willpower point, their effects last for a full scene. • Greater Vestments (three dots) cost 2 Willpower points to activate, and their effects last for a number of turns equal to the total number of Virtue dots the character possesses in all Virtues. A character can continue it indefinitely, but doing so is bad for the mind, body and soul. In this way a Possessed character may suffer Burnout.

Charity “Charity rejoices in our neighbor’s good, while envy grieves over it.” -Thomas Aquinas Truly charitable individuals are compelled by their compassion to share what they have in order to improve the lives of those around them. They treat others as they would themselves, and the gifts they give often return to them in their hour of need. Possessed characters with Charity as their primary Virtue are known as Samaritans.

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Innate Vestments

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Gift Gifts of the charitable are precious indeed. Any item the character freely gives to another gain +1 Durability and +3 Structure so long as the character never takes it back. The character may only use this ability once per session. Lean On Me Whenever the character is in physical contact with another being, they will not fall unconscious due to damage taken nor do they suffer wound penalties. Team Player The charitable play well with others, and this Vestment magnifies that tendency. The Possessed truly excels when working as part of a team. In game terms, the character adds his Charity dots to his dice pool whenever assisting in a Teamwork action. Pass it Forward The character finds that charitable actions seem to be repaid in the form of random, sincere generosity from others. The Resources cost of the character’s purchases are considered to cost one dot less than normal. Sacrifice The character sacrifices a dot of resources to grant one of the following effects to another character - refill all lost Willpower points, heal all bashing damage, or gain +1 defense for the remainder of the chapter. Sincerity As long as the Possessed is telling the truth (telling the truth includes not intentionally leaving out important or relevant information), they score an exceptional success on 3 successes, not 5, on all Persuasion rolls.

Lesser Vestments

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Give Skill If another character within his line of sight attempts to perform a task using a Skill the character himself possesses, the Possessed may sacrifice his dots in the Skill to give that character a number of bonus dice to that Skill up to the dots possessed. The lost dots (and bonus dice) return to normal at the end of the scene. Good Fortune Those characters near the Possessed character gain the 9-Again rule on rolls. This happens to those characters within a number of yards equal to the sum of all the

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Possessed character’s Virtue dots. The character may exclude any individuals it wishes from this effect. Encouragement The Possessed grants an Initiative bonus equal to his dots in Charity to all allies within a number of yards equal to his total dots in all Virtues. During this time, the Possessed suffers a penalty to initiative equal to the bonus gained. Respite Characters within a number of yards equal to the Possessed character’s dots in Charity do not suffer from their Derangements for the duration of the scene. Blessing The character may touch one person per dot in Charity and offer a blessing, giving that person +1 to all rolls for the remainder of the scene. That character’s physical attacks (brawl and melee) are also considered Blessed attacks during this time.

Greater Vestments

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Confession The character speaks to any character who has recently (within 24 hours) suffered a loss of Morality, and if that character confesses their sins and genuinely (at the Storyteller’s discretion) asks for forgiveness, they may re-roll the Morality check, potentially negating the loss of Morality (and any derangements gained therein). This Vestment may only be employed once for any given sin committed. Compassion The Possessed can dispel supernatural compulsions and influences on himself and others, either reflexively (if the Possessed is the target) or actively (if using this Vestment on another). The character rolls Resolve + Charity, and must score a number of successes equal to the level of the effect to be dispelled. Forgiving Aura While active, this Vestment affects anyone within one yard of the Possessed for each Virtue dot the character possesses. Any character within the aura of Charity who rolls a failure or dramatic failure may re-roll their last action. The results of the second roll stand, even if they are actually worse than the first. The character may exclude anyone they wish from this aura. Helping Hands While this Vestment is active, the Possessed gains the power of telekinesis. The character can lift objects of up to Size 5 that weigh 200 lbs or less. Skill rolls to manipulate objects with telekinesis replaces Physical Attributes with corresponding Mental Attributes (Intelligence for Strength, Wits for Dexterity, Resolve for Stamina).

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Unarmed physical attacks made with telekinesis deal bashing damage and ignore Defense, but not Armor.

Faith The universe is ordered by a higher power. Everything has its place in the Great Plan, and ultimately serves that Greater Purpose. The Virtue of Faith exemplifies these beliefs, and those with Faith as their primary Virtue are strengthened by them. They are called The Faithful.

Innate Vestments

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Conviction Those within sight of the character have an easier time resisting morality loss when the action that triggers the Morality roll was driven by their Virtue. They receive a bonus to their Resolve + Composure rolls equal to the dots the character possesses in her primary Virtue. This bonus does apply to the character herself. Blessed Hands All of the character’s unarmed and melee attacks are considered Blessed attacks. Devotion At the time this Vestment is purchased, the character must choose one Skill sphere: Mental, Physical or Social. The character’s Faith in her abilities is such that, when the Possessed succeeds on a roll utilizing a Skill from that sphere, the character gains a point of Willpower (2 points on an exceptional success). However, if the character fails a roll using a Skill from that sphere, she loses a point of Willpower (2 points on a dramatic failure). Oracle With this Vestment, a character gains a bonus to Expression, Persuasion, and Socialize rolls equal to dots possessed in the Virtue when speaking about the character’s Faith. Clarity of Action The character adds his dots in Faith to his Initiative. Eviction The Possessed adds his Faith to any Exorcism rolls. The entity being exorcised also suffers a penalty to all rolls equal to the character’s Faith while being exorcised.

Lesser Vestments

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Armor of Faith

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When this Vestment is activated, the skin of the Possessed is transformed from pliant flesh into a white marble-like substance. The new skin of the Possessed reduces the total amount of any damage taken (regardless of source) by 2 (minimum of 1 point of damage taken) and the host body doesn’t suffer wound penalties.

Clarity of Purpose With this Vestment, the host finds Perception rolls are made easier, gaining a bonus equal to the sum total of all Virtue dots possessed. Piety When this Vestment is activated, anyone who wishes to attack the Possessed must roll Resolve + Composure minus the Faith of the Possessed. If the roll is failed, the character may not attack and loses her action for the turn. If the roll succeeds, the character may attack normally but suffers a –1 penalty from that brief second of hesitation. Shield of Faith The character’s dots in the Faith Virtue are added as Armor against both bashing and lethal damage for the remainder of the scene. This does not stack with other forms of mundane armor. Voice of the Metatron The character’s voice has a potent, echoing quality, a resounding roll of thunder ill-concealed behind the words. Whenever the character makes a Social roll using his spoken voice (Expression, Persuasion, Socialize, Subterfuge), she can add half of her Intimidation dots (round up) to that roll, as well. In addition, any Intimidation roll gains the 9-Again quality.

Greater Vestments

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Angelic Grandeur The character manifests his Faith in all its glory (the player should have a hand in designing exactly what this means visually). The character gains a lethal Brawl attack (+2), can add his Faith dots to any Social roll involving Intimidation or Persuasion, and anyone who attacks the character suffers a halved (round up) Defense score. Bolster Faith Empyrean can channel that Faith into a weapon when facing off against agents of the darkness. The Possessed finds solace and power in the light. Any character with Morality 3 or lower within three yards of the Possessed or who attempts to move within three

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yards has her Speed reduced to one. Holy or blessed weapons have their bonus increased by one die. This aura manifests as a glowing halo that backlights the character from any direction the character is viewed. Chain of Command While this Vestment is active, empyrean and demons of Rank 2 or less are forced to comply with any command issued by the Possessed. Even lesser empyrean and demons don’t appreciate a mortal lording power over them, however, and smart Possessed keep that in mind when issuing their “requests.” Lay on Hands Unlike other Vestments, Lay on Hands requires no Willpower expenditure to activate. Instead, the Possessed spends Willpower to heal wounds. One point of Willpower can heal either 2 points of lethal damage or 4 points of bashing damage. 5 points may be spent to heal one aggravated level. Wounds healed leave no scars and the newly repaired skin takes on the rosy bloom of health. The Possessed may use this Vestment on himself or others. King of Kings While this Vestment is active, everyone within five yards of the host hears a whispering in their minds. The voice of the empyrean speaks to the subconscious. The voice can be blocked out with a Resolve + Composure roll at a –3 penalty. If the roll fails, that individual becomes a willing slave to the Possessed. He will follow any command, even sacrifice his own life to protect him. When the duration ends, those people who fell under the sway of the Possessed will have no memories of their actions.

Fortitude Innate Vestments

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Breath of Life The Possessed gains the ability to hold his breath indefinitely. Constitution Subtract 5 from the rating of any Toxin or Disease affecting the character. If this reduces the toxin or disease’s rating to 0 or below, the Possessed is immune. Insulation If the character takes damage from fire, assume the fire’s Size and Intensity are one less (can be reduced to zero) per dot of Fortitude for the purpose of determining damage. Rebound The character heals Bashing and Lethal damage at twice the usual rate.

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Toughness The Possessed gains +1 to her Health score. Immaculate The Possessed ignores one point of wound penalties per dot in Fortitude.

Lesser Vestments

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Indomitable Will The Possessed gains an additional die to resist mental compulsion (or an additional die of penalty is applied to the attacker, as appropriate) for each dot in Fortitude. This bonus stacks with the usual bonus granted by the character’s Primary Virtue (even if that Primary Virtue is also Fortitude). Iron Will The character may impress his will upon a given Skill. That Skill gains a bonus equal to dots possessed in Fortitude and gains the 9-Again quality for the rest of the scene. However, for the remainder of the day any rolls thereafter utilizing either the Skill suffer the following effect: failures are now automatically considered dramatic failures. Lucky Break God helps those who help themselves. So long as the Possessed never gives up, eventually his fortune will turn for the better. The enemy swings a camping hatchet and misses… severing his own thumb in the process. A monster tries to flee, but her ankle wrenches into a hard twist and she topples. Any enemy within the sum of the Possessed character’s Virtue dots in yards suffer the following effect: all failed Physical rolls are now to be treated as dramatic failures instead. Survivor The character adds their Fortitude dots to their Athletics and Survival Skills for the remainder of the scene. Tread the Flames The character is immune to damage from fire. Fire can still be distracting and the character suffers a penalty equal to the intensity of the flame if she’s immersed in the fire but she takes no damage at all. Combustible items still catch fire, including hair.

Greater Vestments

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What Does Not Kill Me

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Makes me stronger. Each time the Possessed takes damage, he may convert the incoming damage on a one-to-one basis to Empyrean Will. If the character’s Empyrean Will is full, they may not benefit from this Vestment, which is otherwise always active. Denial of the Flesh Many of the Possessed enter into their pact in exchange for immortality and not always from a fear of death. Some feel they are simply too important to die, that they have a destiny stretching before them of which they won’t be cheated by simple mortality. Though it’s true the host body no longer ages, death comes in many shapes and forms. Most Possessed come to a bloody end, either a victim of Burnout or of violence. While this Vestment is active, no matter how much damage the Possessed has taken, she will not die. The Possessed will remain conscious and fully aware of the damage to her body. As soon as the duration ends, unless the Possessed manages to heal excess wounds, she collapses in a bloody heap of torn flesh. Relentless When this Vestment is activated, the Possessed gains an amount of temporary Health equal to her Fortitude. Any damage suffered by the Possessed is first subtracted from this temporary Health before carrying over to her normal track. At the end of the Vestment’s duration, all damage absorbed by temporary Health vanishes and no longer affects the host. Juggernaut The Possessed becomes an implacable agent of heaven, an unstoppable force that sneers at injury, slowed only by death. While this Vestment is active, the skin of the Possessed is covered in scales of a pearly white color. Upon activating the Vestment, the Possessed chooses one type of damage (bashing, lethal or aggravated) and becomes immune to that type of damage for the scene. Additionally, the host never suffers from wound penalties. Rollover damage is exempt as well; if a character is immune to lethal damage but takes enough bashing damage that lethal damage begins to roll over, he would take that lethal damage normally. Being immune to blades doesn’t prevent one from being beaten to death. Steal Vitality Sometimes the best way to get the strength to carry on is to take it from that which is holding you back. Each time the Possessed inflicts physical damage with her bare hands or a melee weapon she can choose to steal an amount of Stamina from her target equal to the amount of damage rolled instead of inflicting normal damage. Witnesses to this kind of attack see an ephemeral taloned claw overlaying the hand or weapon of the Possessed that reaches into the victim and yanks out energy. The Possessed adds the Stamina to her own as temporary dots (ignoring the normal human maximum), but victims may not be reduced below one dot of Stamina. Recalculate any traits (such as Health) for both the Possessed and her target after a successful attack. Stolen Stamina is returned when the Vestment ends.

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Hope The hopeful believe that evil cannot prevail, no matter how dire the situation. They maintain a steadfast belief in the ultimate triumph of morality and decency over malevolence. A Possessed character with Hope as their primary Virtue may be called an Optimist.

Innate Vestments

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Enthusiasm Your character’s good attitude is infectious. The character gains +1 to all social rolls, and anyone within the sum of their Virtue dots in yards gains +1 to any rolls to resist manifesting any existing derangements. Innocence Children are often the most hopeful, and this character can relate to them better than anyone. The Possessed with this Vestment gains +1 die per dot in Hope to Social rolls when dealing with children. Fresh Start Any who slumber within a hundred yards of her gain an additional Willpower point upon waking. Good Start Gain the 8 again rule on the first action taken in each scene. Martyr‘s Blessing In combat, any penalties suffered by the character due to health loss are also suffered by anyone attacking the character (maximum of -3).

Lesser Vestments (2-Dot) Aura of Innocence Anyone who engages in close combat with the character suffers –1 to Attack Rolls, Defense and Initiative per dot the character possesses in Hope due to this pervading aura. Invigorate The optimist triumphs even in the face of adversity. For the duration of this Vestment, Whenever the character is struck in unarmed combat the attacker loses one Willpower point and the Possessed gains one (first Blessed Will, then Willpower). If the attacker is reduced to 0 Willpower during this scene, they gain a mild derangement, which is permanent unless solved through therapy or other appropriate means.

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With Merit The grass is always greener around the hopeful, the possibilities seem endless. This Vestment heightens the impact of some Social Merits on those around the Possessed character. For the remainder of the scene, those within a ten yards per dot of Hope of the character gain a bonus to appropriate Social Merits (Allies, Contacts, Fame, Mentor, Resources, Retainer, Status) equal to the character’s primary Virtue dots. The bonuses may not take the effective merit rating above 5. If the Possessed has a primary Virtue of Faith and has 2 dots in it a nearby character with Resources oooo now has access to Resources ooooo for the remainder of the scene, or until he leaves the radius of effect. He tries to call his bank, and a bank error lists his funds incorrectly or goes to purchase a new car and finds out the dealer has a huge sale. Alternately, a character with Status o in, say, the Catholic Church suddenly is treated with the utmost respect and deference. Leaving the radius of effect or waiting until the scene is done ensures the Merits return to normal. Blood of the Martyr Whenever the character suffers damage in close combat the attacker takes half that damage (round up) as the character’s sanctified blood splatters on them. Rally When the character activates this Vestment, they may restore one lost Willpower point to one person within sight and hearing range per dot possessed in all Virtues. This Vestment may only be used once per chapter.

Greater Vestments (3-Dot) Optimism While this Vestment is active, any roll made by the Possessed that ends in failure or results in only a single success can be bolstered. The character may roll up to 5 additional dice and add any successes to his initial roll. However, if the secondary roll turns up more 1’s than successes the action results in a dramatic failure. The angel inside, in its enthusiasm, can sometimes hinder more than helps. Hard to Stop While this Vestment is active, the Possessed can dodge as a reflexive action, her Defense is never penalized by multiple attackers and she can apply her full Defense against ranged attacks. Other than dodging and moving, the character can perform no other actions for the duration of the Vestment. Remorse Dashing the hopes of the Possessed is much more difficult than normal. While this Vestment is active, each point of damage taken by the host acts as a negative modifier to subsequent attacks that target the Possessed (to a maximum of –5). It just keeps

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becoming harder and harder to inflict harm on the character Martyr When this Vestment is activated the host gains a pool of bonus dice equal to the amount of damage he’s taken. The type of damage doesn’t matter. A Possessed with 3 points of bashing damage on his Health track creates the same 3-dice pool as a Possessed with 3 points of lethal damage. The pool of bonus dice can be used to increase any roll made by the Possessed. Each time a die is removed from the pool it’s replaced only if the Possessed takes more damage and only recent, still painful wounds—i.e., those inflicted in the same scene—contribute to the pool. Light of Day It is said that Lucifer was the wisest and most powerful of the empyrean host. God granted him the honor of shining the first light of day over the Earth, driving back the hidden dangers of the night. In time, Lucifer grew proud and sought to overthrow God and supplant Him on His throne. Defeated by the archangel Michael, Lucifer was cast from heaven, his light bursting to create the flames of the Inferno. But before he was a rebel, he was an angel, and angels still possess the ability to summon a radiant, holy light. When this Vestment is activated the Possessed begins to shine with a bright white light. The light glows brightly enough to illuminate a thirty yard radius. The luminescence cuts through any attempt at disguise (even disguises created through preternatural means) and reveals hidden objects or characters. The Possessed is assumed to succeed at any Perception test (including contested rolls) and automatically succeeds at penetrating disguises or obscurations of any kind. Further, this light counts as natural daylight to supernatural creatures who are affected by it.

Justice The just believe that wrongs cannot go unpunished, that it is the responsibility of every righteous individual to confront inequity wherever they may find it. Empyrean Possessed with Justice as their primary Virtue are often called Judges.

Innate Vestments

O

Fleet Feet of Purpose As with Swift Intercession (below), justice is most satisfactory when it is swift. Those with this Vestment can add both their dots in Intimidation and in the Justice Virtue to their Speed scores. Authority When determining Defense, the character chooses the higher of Wits and Dexterity, not the lesser of the two.

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Litany of Sins By calling out the crimes of their target, the Possessed with this Vestment may make a ranged attack against a single individual (range equal to target’s hearing radius) using Presence + Intimidation. It hits like a fist or a kick; successes gained manifest as bashing damage. Unless the Possessed already knows of any crimes the target has committed, it is probably necessary to use Sense the Unrighteous (below) on the target first. Swift Intercession As it has been said before, Justice can be swift indeed. The Possessed character can add dots possessed in the Virtue of Justice to his Initiative score. Aura of the Just Anyone within 3 yards of the Possessed who possesses a lower Morality score than the character gains a penalty to all actions equal to the character‘s dots in Justice. Additionally, the first turn any character falls within the effect’s range they must roll Resolve + Stamina to avoid the inability to act for that turn. Clear Conscience The character gains the benefits of a full night’s sleep (such as avoiding fatigue and regaining a willpower point) in one hour less than normal per dot in Justice.

Lesser Vestments

OO

Blood of the Lamb When this Vestment is activated it affects any wounded character with a Morality score lower than that of the Possessed within five yards. If such a character has suffered even a single point of lethal damage, his wounds begin to bleed. Blood loss causes 1 point of bashing damage each turn and cannot be stemmed by any form of mundane first-aid. Affected characters are also more acutely aware of their injuries. Any wound penalties they suffer are increased by 1 die penalty. Might of the Just This Vestment requires no expenditure to activate; instead, each point of Empyrean Will spent increases one Attribute by 2 dots (this may exceed normal maximums) for the duration of the Vestment. Characters may apply this Vestment to only one Attribute at a time, and repeated uses of the Vestment do not stack. Retribution Any damage (bashing or lethal) done to the Possessed during this scene is mirrored upon the attacker. That attacker takes the same type and amount of damage caused These Righteous Hands

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The Possessed with this Vestment can add half his Morality dots (round down) to Brawl rolls made during this scene as bonus dice. Sense the Unrighteous

Greater Vestments

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Fueled by Injustice Whenever the character fights an opponent with a lower morality score, not only does the character gain a number of dice to Physical attacks (Brawl, Weaponry) equal to dots possessed in Justice, but any lethal damage incurred to the opponent is transmuted to Willpower for the Possessed (It first fills Empyrean Will, then spills over into refilling lost Willpower). Guilt Whenever struck by the character, a foe relives his most recent sin, however briefly, and may feel they deserve the punishment. Each time a character is wounded by the Possessed he must succeed at a Resolve + Composure roll or forfeit his Defense for the following turn. Plague of Locusts The great plagues of Egypt were just one example of biblical justice. While on a smaller scale, the Just may call on these means to dispense their own brand of divine retribution. On the first turn this Vestment is active, a swarm of locusts pours forth from the mouth and nose of the Possessed, filling the air with a terrible buzzing noise. On the following turn, once the swarm has formed up, it can divide itself and attack anyone within five yards of the Possessed. The Size of the swarm is equal to the total number of dots in Virtues the character possesses. When attacking multiple enemies, divide the total Size of the swarm by enemies present (round up) to determine the Size of the swarm attacking each individual. When the Vestment ends, the locusts flow back into the body of the host, healing her for half the total amount of damage (by type) caused by the swarm’s attacks. Retaliation An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Sometimes the oldest testaments are the very best. If someone injures you, the only just response is to answer in kind. While this Vestment is active, any time the Possessed suffers even a single point of damage he may make a retaliatory attack as a reflexive action, ignoring the standard turn sequence. The retaliatory attack is carried out with whatever weapon is at hand and obeys all standard rules. The reflexive action does not allow the Possessed a free move; he can strike at only those characters within range of his weapons. Retaliatory attacks do not exhaust the standard action of the Possessed; he may move and act normally during his turn.

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Righteous Fury There is such a thing as Holy Wrath, not a sin but the embodiment of God’s will when directed against the unrepentant. While this Vestment is active, any weapon (or the knuckles of the host, if unarmed) wielded by the Possessed turns red-hot and smoking. In the case of firearms, bullets erupt into flame as they leave the barrel, leaving trails of smoldering sparks in their wake. Successful attacks deal an automatic 2 points of lethal damage in addition to roll results. The clothing and equipment of opponents that take more than 5 points of damage in any turn begin to smolder and burn. Characters can beat out the blossoming flames with a successful Wits + Dexterity roll. If the roll is failed, the flames are considered torch-sized for purposes of damage (see the World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 180). Prudence Those who counsel prudence value restraint and acting on wisdom, condemning thoughtless and rash behavior. The prudent choose wisely, advancing in life slowly but surely. They are called The Vigilant.

Innate Vestments

O

Acquired Wisdom At the time this Vestment is purchased, the character must pick one Skill (combat Skills excluded: no Brawl, Firearms or Weaponry). Any time that character uses this Skill to pursue her primary Virtue or to perform an action specifically in line with the empyrean’s wishes, that action becomes a rote action (see p. 134, World of Darkness Rulebook). Empirical Knowledge It helps to know one’s adversary inside and out. Simply by touching a target, the Possessed may know the exact dots that subject possesses in one Skill without having to roll any dice. The Possessed chooses which Skill to examine, and may only use this ability on a given individual once. Inherited Wisdom Any experience point costs are reduced slightly for the character. Each cost is one less than normal. I.E. If the final cost for purchasing a new Skill dot is 15, it’s now only 14; a new Specialty costs 2 instead of 3 experience points. Patience The character doesn’t suffer as swiftly from the effects of starvation or thirst. The character may go an additional number of days without food or drink equal to dots possessed in his primary Virtue. Thorough Study With this Vestment, the time ascribed to any extended Academics or Investigation rolls

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is doubled (so if a roll would normally equal five minutes of time, that same roll equals ten for a character with this ability), however all successful results are automatically considered exceptional successes. The Possessed may choose not to benefit from this Vestment on any given Academics or Investigation task in order to save time. Vigilance The Possessed adds his dots in Prudence to Perception rolls.

Lesser Vestments

OO

Steward of Beasts God created man to be the steward of the Earth, with dominion over all the lesser animals. The wisdom of the Vigilant allow them to exercise this dominion. The Possessed may speak to any one animal in that animal’s tongue for the remainder of the scene. In addition, the Possessed may command that animal to do his will (necessitating success on a Manipulation + Animal Ken + Pride roll), even if the command demands the animal put itself in harm’s way. Practical Wisdom The character may add his dots in Prudence to all Academics and Occult rolls. Reason The character may add the sum of all her Virtue dots to any rolls utilizing the Persuasion skill. Restrain Grappling is a common means of neutralizing a foe without harming them, and the prudent are extraordinarily skilled at this. The character gains bonus dice when attempting to establish or maintain a grapple or immobilize with an overpower roll equal to their dots in Prudence. Restraint As long as the character is not attacking during a turn, they gain +3 to Defense.

Greater Vestments

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Lamb’s Protection He who is without sin may cast the first stone. While this Vestment is active, any character with a Morality score equal to or lower than the Possessed who attempts to attack the character with a firearm, thrown, or melee weapon finds his attacks stymied. Guns run out of ammo, knives lose tensile strength and snap, and clubs shatter when they strike. Objects or weapons with supernatural qualities do not break, but the damage of their strike is reduced to zero.

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Empyrean Diplomat For the Possessed, making a bargain with an empyrean, infernal, or other spirit is less a contest of wills and guile than it is a business deal. The possessing empyrean speaks directly through the host, setting terms, offering compromises and keeping a weather eye for treacherous loopholes. Activating this Vestment requires the expenditure of 2 Empyrean Will, but the effect remains active for a scene. The Possessed gains a bonus to the Negotiations roll equal to his total dots of Virtue. Size Matters As with Napoleon, it is often said that the shortest men have the most to prove and therefore behave the most rashly. Whether this is true or not, the Vigilant have nothing to prove. With this Vestment, the Possessed may add dots in the Prudence Virtue to her Size (which also adds to her Health score and Speed) for the duration of this ability. Cleave the Unnatural The Possessed, of course, are not the only creatures in the World of Darkness with unnatural abilities. Mages, changelings, vampires and more all have powers of their own, some of which seem far more powerful than the gifts granted to the Possessed. When this Vestment is activated, any ongoing effect within ten yards of the Possessed that could be qualified as “magic” (spells, Gifts, other Vestments, Contracts and so on) is disrupted. Assuming the duration of a disrupted effect hasn’t ended before the Vestment expires, the magic returns and functions normally once this Vestment has ceased. Use of this Vestment doesn’t stop new castings of the same magic; it just suppresses current ongoing effects. This Vestment has little effect upon supernatural powers that could be considered innate to a creature’s nature. Thus, a vampire doesn’t fall over dead because the magic sustaining its frame is banished, a werewolf can still shift forms, etc. However, the vampire may find his hypnotic thrall over a minion disrupted and the werewolf would lose the effects of a Gift heightening his strength. Vow of Peace Anyone who makes an attack roll within five yards of the Possessed suffers 1 point of bashing damage each turn and must succeed on a Strength + Athletics roll with a -3 penalty or be knocked down (see the World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 168).

Temperance Those who embody the Virtue of Temperance demonstrate moderation in all things. It’s all about balance. Everything has its place, from anger and lust to forgiveness and chastity. The temperate do not deny their urges, but neither do they revel in them. They are called The Frugal.

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Innate Vestments

O

Economy of Thought The Possessed gains a number of bonus dice to resist mental compulsion and other mental effects equal to dots in the Temperance Virtue. This bonus stacks with the normal bonus allowed by the character’s Primary Virtue (even if it is also Temperance). Balance of Effort Each morning when the character awakens, the player chooses a bonus from +1 to +5; this bonus applies for the next 24 hours toward all Physical or Mental rolls. Unfortunately, during this time the bonus becomes a penalty against all Mental rolls (if they chose to add bonus dice to Physical) or Physical rolls (if they chose to add dice to Mental)— If the character chooses +1 to Physical, he suffers –1 to all Mental rolls during this time (whereas +3 becomes –3, and +5 becomes –5) and vice versa. Derived statistics, such as Initiative and Defense, are also affected by these bonuses and penalties. Jack of All Trades When this Vestment is chosen, the character must select a Skill that goes along with it. This Skill is forever bound to the Vestment, unless the character subs out this Vestment for the same Vestment (though with a different Skill paired with it). Every morning upon waking, the Possessed character may choose a new Specialty for that Skill. That Specialty lasts until the following morning, at which point she must select a new Specialty. (She may not keep one Specialty for more than 24 hours at a time) Moderation The character generates an aura that reduces extremes of emotion. Anyone within a few yards (one yard per dot in all of the character’s Virtues) may not regain willpower from fulfilling their Vice. Nevertheless The character will never go last in Initiative order. If the character’s Initiative score for the round puts him last, he is bumped up one rank so he now goes second-to-last. The drawback of this Vestment is that the character may never go first, either, as long as there are more than two characters rolling for initiative. Liar’s Eyes When looking into the eyes of another character, the Possessed gains a bonus to Empathy rolls equal to the dots in Charity for the purposes of detecting lies and falsehoods.

Lesser Vestments

OO

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True Sight The character never suffers penalties to Perception rolls. This does not allow the character to automatically pierce magical illusions, but if such illusions allow a perception roll to penetrate them the Possessed would roll Wits + Composure without any penalties. Bless Item The character may touch an object, which becomes Blessed for the scene. The Blessed Rating of the item is equal to the character’s dots in Temperance. The Meek Shall Inherit When this Vestment is activated the host gains a +1 bonus to all attack rolls for each spent dot of Empyrean Willpower. Humility The Character may add 6 minus his Resources dots to any rolls involving Persuasion or Socialize. No Rush The character emanates an aura in a radius of yards equal to 5 times her Morality score. Thus, if a character’s Morality is 7, then the radius of effect would be equal to 35 yards. Those caught in this aura feel as if there is no need to hurry, as if rushing about were simply uncalled for. Everyone within the radius suffers a penalty to their Speed scores equal to twice the character’s dots in Temperance. The character himself is immune to this effect.

Greater Vestments

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Angelic Flight Upon activating this Vestment, the host body sprouts wings large enough to bear him aloft. The appearance of the wings varies from host to host. For the duration of the Vestment, the Possessed can fly at three times his normal Speed. Mercy While this Vestment is active, the Possessed will never inflict more damage than he chooses against a target. After any attack rolls are made the character may choose to reduce the damage he inflicts on others by any number he wishes. Perfect Poise The Possessed may balance and walk across any surface, even those that should not possibly support his weight (such as thin ropes, water, snow, mud, etc), without leaving any tracks of any kind.

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Turn the Other Cheek While this Vestment is active, the character ignores the first three points of damage inflicted by all incoming attacks.

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